Let's not sugarcoat it, President Obama won Monday's debate decisively -- at least on the topic of the evening, foreign policy. That's good news for Obama and bad news for Romney. But there's good news for Romney too.
Barack Obama and Mitt Romney discuss how the U.S. should go forward in dealing with China.
After two dramatic debates, in a tight race, we have come to this -- one final showdown that may decide who becomes the next president. In theory, it'll all be about foreign policy. In reality, it's about something much bigger. It's about leadership and decision-making ... and, as always, the economy.
New forecasts show that the worst may be over for the construction industry, which was hit harder by the Great Recession than any other sector, as construction projects slowly resume. Some 27% of construction firms say they plan to add staff this year, while only 20% plan to cut jobs.
China's economy is clearly in the midst of an inflationary pop. And American consumers might think that will translate directly to the prices we pay here. But once you put U.S.-China trade in a larger context, it becomes clear that this is not likely to be the case.
Two days of talks with a high-level delegation from China produced results that should benefit U.S. companies ranging from manufacturers of computer software and wind turbines to beef producers.
The World Trade Organization has supported the Obama administration's decision in September 2009 to enact tariffs on Chinese tires imported to the U.S. The WTO said the president's claim that such imports disrupted the domestic tire market was warranted.
Since the mad cow scare of 2003, South Korea has been a tough market for U.S. beef: The country first banned it, then severely limited imports. But a pending new trade agreement could mark the resumption of normal trade and the start of a more prosperous era for American beef exports.
More than 200 prominent U.S business leaders have followed President Obama to India this weekend, among them are Indra Nooyi of Pepsico and Vikram Pandit of Citigroup.
Traveling with an entourage of 200 American business executives, President Obama's trip to Asia has, to a large extent, become an effort to create jobs in the U.S. But reaching new agreements won't be easy -- at home or abroad.
It looks like no-commission trades for exchange-traded funds are here to stay. Several of the largest ETF brokerages -- including iShares, Invesco Powershares and Charles Schwab -- say they don't plan to charge commission anytime soon.
